with some Divine Intervention...When researching a family line there comes a point where you become 'stuck'. In genealogy circles it's called hitting the proverbial brick wall. It seems as though you have found everything there is to find and there is no where else to go. As it turns out, that is simply not true. It just means it's time to get creative and start thinking and looking outside the box.

This is where I was a few years ago with my paternal line. I could follow my own direct line back to my gg grandparents. From census records I was able to determine who their other children were and piece together the families of those collateral lines. And this is where I got 'stuck'. So here we have 3 generations. I am the 5th generation so the entire 4th generation is missing. I could connect myself through my own line as I knew that John Jr. son of John (1) was my grandfather but I had no idea about the descendants of the other 4 children. If I was to find any living relatives that could share information I needed to find that 4th generation.

I started with what I knew for sure; Thomas, son of John (1), my Great Uncle was a Priest in Toronto.

I looked up the Archdiocese of Toronto and sent them an email asking if they had any information about a priest named Thomas Manley who died in 1947. I remember my husband being very skeptical and saying he didn't think I would even get a reply. Not only did they reply, they sent me a 2 page profile on him along with 3 photos. This profile was a treasure trove of genealogical information but one tiny little notation on page 2 made my heart start racing;

Bingo! Jackpot! Who are these two guys? They're aren't in the list above so they must not be first cousins. They MUST be part of that missing 4th generation but who do they belong to? And there is a good possibility that they are still alive, so how am I going to find them? Well it was actually kind of easy. I made a beeline to the nearest Catholic church in my neighborhood and went to see the Parish Secretary. I told her what I found and asked her how I could find out who they were. She got out her trusty Priest's directory and within 5 minutes she had Father Hugh on the phone...

...While I sat there, nearly hyperventilating.

Father Hugh was elderly and not in very good health but he told her that I could give his brother Bill a call because Bill had done quite a bit of research on the family. So off I went, still not knowing who he was but I had Bill's phone number. As soon as I got home I called Bill and found out that he and the 2 priests were brothers and grandsons of Francis (5) through his son William. Bill filled in the entire Francis (5) line for me and also put me in touch with the great grandaughter of Edward (4) who in turn filled in that line for me. Eventually I figured out Hugh (2) and Mary's (3) lines as well so now I have the complete picture.

Over the next year I spoke to Bill on the phone several times, received several letters from him (written in long hand) and he even came to visit me one day with his wife and one of his daughters while passing through my town. It turns out his wife is from the same town that I live in. Bill passed away about a year after I found him and is buried here in the town where I live. He was such a wonderful man and it was such a pleasure to have been able to get to know him a little.

Genealogy is about so much more than figuring out names and dates and if you get stuck and need more information...just ask for it ;-)

For as long as I can remember Birthday's were always a reason to celebrate at our house. My Mother always made sure that we knew that this was our BIG day and that on this day we were ''special''. Some years I had a formal party with my friends, other years it was a family party. Either way, there were always presents to open, special dinners and of course, Birthday Cake and Candles. I associate birthday's with happy times and have carried on that tradition with my husband and son. When I was born we lived on a small ''circle'' that had a couple of other families with girls the same age as me. These girls were my first best friends. I lived there until I was 5 and then we moved to another neighborhood. I recently reconnected with one of these girls on Facebook (after 45 years). I posted a picture for her of my 4th birthday party (the last one in that house) because she was in it. Her comment was ''Your Mom always threw the BEST Birthday Parties''. I think I would have to agree with her on that. On a ''serendipitous'' side note I also learned that my friend's younger sister bought my old house and lives in it now. I'm definitely going for a visit to see what kind of memories that will conjur up.

PS ~ In the top picture I am sitting at the back and in the other picture, that's me with the slip showing (nothing's changed) ;-)

This weekend I found 'A Blogger's Best Friend Award' in my inbox. Thanks so much to Lori of the Genealogy and Me blog for sending this to me. Lori is one of the most cheerful geneabloggers out there and has a great family history blog. If anyone should get this award, it should be Lori.

The "A Blogger's Best Friend Award" shall be given to your most loyal blog readers. Thus, the award should be given to a follower of yours who takes the time to comment regularly on many of your posts. In addition his or her blog should be creative, funny and always entertaining. Upon receiving this award, pass it along to two fellow bloggers who fit this criteria. Congratulations!

So without further adieu, the 'BBF' award shall go to;

(1) Kelly at Herstoryan
One of the first geneabloggers I met, she always has something nice to say and following her blog is a pleasure. Go snuggle up at Herstoryan's Hearth and transform yourself back in time to your ancestor's life.

(2) Caroline at Family StoriesAlways there with encouraging words and a quirky sense of humor that never quits. You never know what you'll find when you head to Family Stories but you can be sure it will be thoughtful, intelligent and sprinkled with that wicked sense of humor AND she's a poet.

And a big Thank You to everyone who has taken the time to stop by my blog and leave a comment. I love to hear from you and appreciate you all!!

A new award is currently making the rounds among the very Happy and Friendly Genealogy Blogging community. I have to say this is one of the friendliest bunch of people I've ever come across. Researching our ancestors is our common thread and we all know that life takes on another dimension when we understand where we came from. It's a Happy thing!

Many thanks to Jenna of Desperately Seeking Surnames for passing the Happy 101 Award along to me. If you aren't familiar with Jenna make sure you stop by her blog and leave a comment to let her know you were there. We all love comments!

The rules of this award are that I share 10 things that make me happy and then forward the award along to 10 other Genealogy bloggers so here are a few of the things that make me REALLY HAPPY!!

My husband, my son and my dog

My ancestors who I am very proud of

Technology, especially My iPhone

The great people in the Genea-blogging community

Ireland

Road trips to my home town

Hanging out in Libraries and Archives

Making things ~ Knitting or Sewing

Reading a good book

Creating my blog and writing about my ancestors

I am fairly new here and don't know who already has this award so I'm just going to list some of my favorite blogs and hope to discover many more as time goes by;

Marjorie Eleanor (Vine) Manley (1933-1984)
~ Life Is A Caberet Old Chum ~

This is my Mother's gravestone (center)

The photo itself is a little ''interesting'' because the day it was taken the weather wasn't very nice. It was a grey, drizzly kind of day. We took about 50 pictures that day of various things in various locations and they all turned out looking grey and drizzly. Except this one. At the time it was taken I was standing just outside of the shot talking out loud to my Mom about a rather serious issue that had recently come to light. My husband was just to the left and he took the picture while I was talking.

There may be a 'photographic' explanation but I prefer to think my Mom was letting me know that she was listening ;-)

Edward Manley was born on the 25th of July, 1861 to Edward Manley and Margaret Dixon in Thorold, Ontario. He grew up in Thorold, appearing in the 1871 and 1881 census listings with his parents and siblings.

On the 10th of January, 1888 Edward married Margaret Anne Boylan at St. Patrick's RC church in Quebec City, Quebec. They were married by Father John Hayden and the witnesses were George Boylan and Lissie Boylan. Margaret was born in Quebec City on Nov 1st, 1862. She was the daughter of Edward Boylan and Margaret O'Brien, residents of Quebec City.

Their first child, Margaret Anne was born on the 24th of Nov, 1888 in Quebec City but did not survive infancy. Her exact death date is unknown. From approximately 1891 to 1901 the family had settled in the village of Coteau du Lac near Montreal where four more children were born. By 1901 they had moved to Edward's home town of Thorold, Ontario where they were to stay for the remainder of their lives. Here, their fifth child was born in 1901. Edward was involved in canal construction in Quebec, Ontario, the United States and Panama and was part owner of several canal vessels. Edward died on the 22nd of January, 1928 in Toronto, Ontario. His wife Margaret Anne passed away in an unfortunate accident just four months later.

Obituary for Edward Manley, St. Catharines Standard, Jan 23, 1928

EDWARD MANLEY DIES AFTER AN OPERATION
Well-Known Thorold Contractor Passes Away in Toronto HospitalCONCERNED IN SOME GREAT WORKS
President and General Manager of the Manley Dredging Company

Failing to rally after a severe operation performed Saturday morning, Edward Manley, 16 Sullivan Avenue, Thorold, died late Sunday afternoon in St. Michael's hospital, Toronto, where he had been taken three weeks ago for treatment by the foremost specialists of that city. The late Mr. Manley was born in Thorold 66 years ago, son of Edward Manley and Margaret Dixon who came to Canada in 1846 from County Mayo, Ireland.

Mr. Manley's life was an exceptionally interesting one, replete with worth-while accomplishments in the construction of public works in Canada, the United States and Panama. When hardly more than a boy, he went to work in 1879 for Larkin & Connolly on a dredge engaged in digging what is now the harbor at Port Dalhousie. This was the beginning of a long association with public works construction that ended only with his death. 1883 found him still with the same firm building the famous Louise Basin at Quebec City. It was during that year he installed and set in motion the dynamo that supplied the current for the first electric lights ever seen in Quebec.

Leaving Larkin & Connolly in 1884 he became superintendent of construction for M.J. Hogan, and at the age of 33 pushed to successful completion important railway construction contracts in Nova Scotia. The year 1886 found him in Panama, one of six dredging experts who left New York to work under de Lesseps on that ill fated attempt by the Frenchman to build a sea-level canal across the isthmus. He and one other were the only two to return. The four others lie buried in Panama, victims of yellow fever and cholera.

Mr. Manley became superintendent of construction for the W.J. Poupore Company of Montreal in 1893. They were one of the largest contracting companies of that time and during the twelve years of his association with them he earned an international reputation by his completion far ahead of schedules of gigantic contracts on the Soulanges, Morrisburg and Farran's Point Canals and the St. Lawrence River.

In 1905 he formed a partnership with M. McAuliffe of Welland and R. Grass of Toronto, operating under the name of The Manley Company. As head of this firm he continued his record of successes, having to his credit contracts at Sarnia, Amherstburg, Port Stanley, Port Burwell, Byng Inlet and other places on the Great Lakes.

In 1920 The Manley Company became a limited stock company and the name was changed to the Frontenac Dredging Company, Limited. As Vice-President and General Manager, Mr. Manley took and completed contract after contract in the harbors along Lake Ontario from Kingston to Cobourg. Selling his stock in this company in 1925, Mr. Manley became president and general manager of the Manley Dredging Company, Limited, positions which he held at the time of his death.

MRS. MANLEY FELL TO DEATH FROM BALCONYThorold Citizen Victim of Fatal Accident Yesterday AfternoonDROPPED UPON A CONCRETE SIDEWALKHad Just Been Waiting Upon a Sick Daughter Upstairs

A shocking fatality occured yesterday afternoon at Thorold when Mrs. Margaret A. Manley, widow of the late Edward Manley, was instantly killed as a result of a fall from an upstairs balcony to the ground 15 feet below, landing on a concrete sidewalk.

Mrs. Manley was apparently in her usual good health, for she had been attending a sick daughter. After waiting upon her daughter she stepped out on the balcony to give some instructions to a carpenter who had been engaged to make some alterations. Whether she was taken with a sick spell or not has not yet been determined, but she leaned heavily on the railing, which gave way, precipitating her to the walk below.

Drs. Campbell and McMillan were hurriedly summoned but she was beyond medical assistance having died instantly.

The late Mrs. Manley was of a very generous disposition, always ready to help those in need in a quiet unostentatious way and by her kindly manner had endeared herself to a large circle of friends during her residence in Thorold for the past 33 years and her passing will be mourned with sincere regret, the deepest sympathy being extended to the family in their double bereavement.

She was the daughter of the late Edward Boylan, a member of a very prominent family in Quebec and was the widow of the late Edward Manley, a well known dredging contractor, who predeceased her about four months ago. In religion she was a devoted member of Our Church of the Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Dear Ancestor

Your tombstone stands among the rest;Neglected and alone.The name and date are chiseled outOn polished, marble stone.It reaches out to all who careIt is too late to mourn.You did not know that I existYou died and I was born.Yet each of us are cells of youIn flesh, in blood, in bone.Our blood contracts and beats a pulseEntirely not our own.Dear Ancestor, the place you filledOne hundred years agoSpreads out among the ones you leftWho would have loved you so.I wonder how you lived and loved,I wonder if you knewThat someday I would find this spot,And come to visit you.~ Author Unknown ~